Seeing homeowners with yards that lend well to various decorations can make anyone feel envious, especially if you don’t have that kind of outdoor space.
But even though you lack outdoor space, it doesn’t mean you can’t do anything with the space you do have.
In this blog, we’ll talk about how to DIY an artificial green wall installation in your apartment, why you should do it, and how to prepare beforehand.
Ready?
Let’s get into it.
Why Artificial Green Walls Work Well in Apartments
Apartments come with unique challenges: limited space, potential rental restrictions, or inadequate layouts. Unfortunately, this makes it hard to think about decorating long-term.
But even though you might not be able to make any permanent (or large) changes to your space, you can still decorate with low-maintenance, DIY-friendly elements, like artificial green walls.
Faux green walls work well anywhere - including apartments. The trick is to use them to their full potential and take advantage of all their benefits:
- Artificial green walls provide instant aesthetic appeal, so you don’t have to wait for them to grow.
- Faux vertical gardens are a space-saving solution, so you can use up the vertical space in any room.
- Artificial green walls are low-maintenance and work well for busy apartment dwellers or people without a green thumb.
- Many fake vertical gardens are UV-resistant and designed to withstand sunlight, so you can also use them on your balcony.
What Tools Do You Need for a DIY Installation?
If you own your apartment, you have free reign to do whatever you want - drilling, stapling, hammering.
But to install your faux green wall correctly, you need to know what your apartment walls are made of and what tools you need to complete your installation.
If you’re planning to install your faux green wall on a timber, plaster, stucco, MDF, or plastic surface, you’ll need the following tools:
- Staple gun
- Drill
- Screw drill head
- Screws
For mesh, tubular, or railing surfaces, stock up on:
- Cable ties
- Scissors
And for brick, concrete, masonry, or stone surfaces, you’ll need:
- Concrete/brick anchor plugs
- Hammer
- Drill
- Drill bit
If you can’t make any permanent changes to your apartment due to rent limitations, you’ll need to create a freestanding structure that could support your faux green wall without having to hang it on a wall.
We won’t go into detail about how you can do that here, but we’ve got a full project breakdown about freestanding artificial green walls here.
Alternatively, you can use adhesive hooks, but you should try them out beforehand to ensure the marks aren’t too visible.
Step-by-Step Installation Guide
Installing your artificial vertical garden is as easy as pie. Although the process depends on the project's complexity, you’ll likely have to go over these general steps:
1. Survey and prepare the site
First, measure your space. Multiply the length with the width to calculate the square footage that should be covered. Make sure you double-check (and even triple-check) your measurements before ordering your green walls.
Mark the area you’ll cover and ensure your green wall doesn’t obstruct any switchboards or access points. Of course, you should have your vertical garden as far from sources of open flames as possible.
2. Install the first panel
Hold up your faux vertical garden panel and attach it starting from the top corner and adding a fixing every 10-15 inches. Refer back to the tools you’ll need for your specific surface and follow our guide to fix your first panel.
3. Firmly secure the panel
Pull on the green wall panel slightly to make sure it’s secure and flush against the surface.
Since our faux green walls are 40” x 40”, you’ll likely have approximately 12 fixings per panel. If you’re using your vertical garden inside where it’s protected from strong winds, you can get by with fewer fixings. Still though, you need to ensure your panel is secure and doesn’t wobble on the wall.
It should never be at risk of falling over.
4. Secure the second panel
Get your second panel and join the holes and lugs on the grid backing with the first one. Just like the first, attach a fixing every 10-15 inches of the panel.
Continue the process with other subsequent panels until you’ve covered the entire surface you’d previously marked. Go over the installation to make sure there are no awkward gaps, overlaps, or upturned corners.
You may need to cut your last panel to accommodate the available space on your wall. This shouldn’t be an issue, as you can simply cut the excess off with scissors. Just focus on cutting along the backing mesh without snapping a leaf or two.
5. Fluff the foliage
Since we tightly pack the panels to prevent damage during transport, they might not look great right off the bat - this is expected.
When you’re done installing your artificial vertical gardens, lightly fluff the faux foliage to give them a more natural, unruly look. Adjust and move some branches and leaves around so that they imitate natural growth.
Conclusion
Installing an artificial green wall in your apartment yourself is an easy feat once you have all the necessary information. It’s important to manage your expectations and leave room (and grace) for errors, especially if this is your first DIY project.
And if you don’t want to deal with DIY installations, you can have someone else install your panels, like a professional builder.
Or, you can contact our team for an installation quote and we’ll do all the work for you.